Carey Books

Carey's first book about Vietnam is profoundly written in such a way that the reader is joined along side the writer on the journey to finding home. The journey has been long and teadous. As well as being full of self-discovery about my own seeking of healing from the War in Vietnam. Like Carey, I too, was a medic. It took a long time for many of those who were caregivers to find the courage to take that first step to coming home. This book will gently ask you questions and you have to go deeper to find the significance for you. Carey's style of writing is unique in that he didn't tell us war stories or even shared the blood and the guts of being a medic. He wrote about loss of innocence, the helplessiness of being alone, to loss, to find ourselves again, to regaining hope, to finding the way home. This book should be read by all Vietnam Vets and their families who suffer from PTSD. Carey, through his writing and his encouragement began my journey home and taught me how to love myself again. I, too, have finally written my story of being a medic in Vietnam. "Poems In The Keys Of Life: Reflections of a combat medic". I can't wait for his second book. Thanks Carey for your friendship to me.
Kerry "Doc" Pardue

I met author Carey Spearman when I attended the Tet '68 Reunion in Hampton, VA in 2003. Carey was trained as a combat medic and X-ray technician. He served in Vietnam March 1967 to May 1968. He wrote his book Vietnam Veterans' Homecoming: Crossing the Line as "a straightforward but diverse account of one man's post-war journey toward homecoming and healing." AND it is just that!

This amazing book has not only helped Carey heal himself from the war but I believe it has helped other Vets who read it already. AND I think it will continue to help others in the future. I'd like to share some of Carey's passages with you so you can get a feel for what his book is like.

One that grabbed me actually made me think about all the people affected by one individuals life and death. "No one in Nam ever died alone. Someone always hurt for them....You don't know how many people loved him on his way home, or how many people mourned for him before you even knew he was dead. There are a lot more people in that coffin than you know."

For those Vets who have not yet been able to find a way to make it back to their families in one way or another Carey wrote "we have made ourselves prisoners of Vietnam here and are locked in by an open door." That's a profound statement.

He had memories of his family while he was in Vietnam and they came into his head at one point. He wrote "when I was small, my grandmother and mother would hold me when I was hurting and scared. It seemed to take the pain away....My grandmother and mother had put me in touch with my female side." Carey tried to do the same thing for his patients in Vietnam but he realized that "my grandmother and mother did not make the pain go away. They absorbed it. By them holding or touching me...I was not alone." While with his patients they "knew they were not alone. We took in so much pain. We hurt so much inside....There wasn't a patient that I touched who was not touched by the both of you [his grandmother and mother]."

Carey has found a way to express himself and help others as well as him on the road to recovery from the war. He wrote that "vets say, they live for their families....I haven't heard too many vets say they live with their families." So in writing this profound book of statements and thoughts he is hopefully helping other Vets with their own emotions and feelings.

He knows all too well about PTSD. He wrote, "I just want to live life. So I will stay just a little bit outside of your normal life, so I can have some control."

He realizes how families too are affected by the war and their loved ones serving. He commented "I want to tell you how much I am hurting but when I start to look into your eyes and see the fear, I don't want to hurt you, but I do want you to know that part of my life. I watch you shy away from me....I feel like I am in a glass bubble....I don't want to remain in here but the only way out for me is to talk about what I went through and let some of the pain out....Stay close to my bubble. As long as I can see you out there, I know there is a way out for me." He knows he can reach out to someone for help as long as he can see them and this works for others as well.

One of the more important statements Carey made is "We are Missing in America (MIA). Maybe the next time we hug as vets, along with saying, `Welcome home,' we should add, `thanks for what you did then, and what you are trying to do now.' If we don't recognize what we have done over all of these years, no one else will." Isn't it sad that the general public doesn't welcome home Vets the way we welcome home each other?

In the Prologue was written that Carey' book "delivers an honest treatment of the personal side of a controversial war. It provides people who have no military experience or knowledge with glimpses of military life during wartime, and inside views of the emotional struggles soldiers endure during their post-war lives." That it does and more! AND I too look forward to Volume II.

This is a book for all to read. Perhaps then everyone can understand what at least one Vet has gone through in his life dealing with his wartime service to our country. This is a must read book and should be in Vet Centers, libraries and bookstores around the country.

HEART TOUCHING, I MEET MR. SPEARMAN AT 2002 VETERANS DAY IN DC. HE TOLD ME THE BOOK HE WROTE HELPED HIM TO GET WELL! IM SO GLAD IT DID GOD BLESS HIM.

Carey Spearman reaches right for the heart with his poignant vignettes on life in Vietnam and at home. The very cover of his book reveals much about his message: Vietnam's wounds are not just carried by Americans, but by many more; nor are all jungles lush and tropical. The soldier depicted on the cover wears a mix of western and oriental gear. The soldier's shadow is simply a man's--without the trappings of war. The palms trees of Vietnam on the skyline give way to the concrete skyscrapers of urban America. Spearman's year in Vietnam amounted to a lifetime of tending the wounded and maimed of every sort of humanity: man, woman or child carried into the medic's ward. There he began to realize how war wounds not only the soldier, but the family back home, the villager in the jungle, the lover awaiting the letter that never arrives. Like good wine, Spearman's words come from years of reflection and hard work. They reveal a man who has come to terms with his own post traumatic stress and has accepted healing. He sees the world as filled with individuals. War takes it toll one by one. Families of those lost or wounded in Vietam or other conflicts, and anyone who has suffered a significant loss in his or her life will benefit from Spearman's vignettes. If you want to read something charged with deep emotion, yet minus the gore of "war stories," and one that helps to heal inner wounds, Spearman's book: Vietnam Veterans'Homecoming: Crossing the Line will be a wonderful read. For anyone teaching American history, or history buffs, Spearman's book casts a piercing light on the reality of war--its horror and far reaching effects. In language anyone can understand, this book is one I recommend for people who look for wisdom and a sense of peace. They will find both in Carey Spearman's reflections on life as a veteran of a war American wants to forget.

I have had enough of polite incompetance. I have written two nice letters to the brain-dead idiots at AMAZON, attempting to explain to them that this book, THE WAR ABOVE THE TREES, is NOT FICTION as they classify it.

It is an ACCURATE HISTORY of some of what went on during the 4th Infantry Division's Operation Wayne Grey in the Plei Trap Valley of South Vietnam in 1969.

They respond with polite drone-composed responses that say nothing, then they DO NOTHING.

So as of now, and according to me, this book is NOT Fiction. It is as real as a heart attack. And AMAZON will probably have it mis-classified as Fiction forever.

Me being a gunner in Vietnam too it is the real thing don't miss this

I was on the ground as a rifleman during this mission, often looking up in awe of these choppers coming to our aid. I have spent a great deal of time researching "Operation Wayne Grey" and Ron's book still filled in lots of blanks for me. He tells what it was like to get into some of those tiny LZ's we had created and how hard it was to keep up with the many demands put on the aircraft and crews. I want to thank Ron for telling his story and for all he did back in the Plei Trap Valley.

This is an excellent book about the battle for the Plei Trap Valley in Vietnam (Operation Wayne Grey) in March and April of 1969. I was with the 1st Brigade headquarters for much of March, then took over as commander of Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 12th Infantry on LZ D-Handle for the last two to three weeks of the operation. Mr. Carey has captured not only the chronology and tactics of the battle, but also the personal side of the fighting in this most inhospitable location. It was a place of thick jungle and steep mountains. The NVA considered the valley their territory, had it well fortified and fought hard to keep it. Mr. Carey and all the other helicopter crewmen were our life line. Without their heroic daily flights the infantry, artillery and engineers fighting in the Plei Trap Valley could not have inflicted heavy casualities on the NVA, thus stopping a serious threat to the Allied control of the Central Highlands. This is a great story of ordinary people doing extraordinary deeds.

Alan C. Carey insures that those who fought with Navy Liberator and Privateer squadrons in the Pacific will not be forgotten heroes. The work reflects the scholarly research and careful documentation expected of a historian. Carey found some WWII veterans reluctant to tell their stories, and for some it is already too late. After researching his father's story, he went on to bring other brave men the recognition they deserve. In writing this book, he provides ready reference to anyone who had family or friends flying with the squadrons but never heard their stories. His book acknowledges the historic record to remind us of those who died so we may be free.

This book (and the companion volume "Above An Angry Sea") detail the exploits of the men who flew the Navy version of the B-24 Liberator in the Pacific campaign. This was my father's war, and I have always felt cheated that there were so many books on Army Air Force B-24 action, but so few for the PB4Y-1 and -2. Alan Carey must have felt the same way, as his father was a gunner on one of those Navy PB4Ys. Bought this book and read it from cover to cover, and was truly amazed when my father was mentioned three times! Guess what I am sending him for his 86th birthday!

The first thing, and most important to me, is that Mr. Carey has the facts! Good for a bet almost anywhere is the fact of the existence of US Navy B-24s and the Privateers during WWII.

The reason I bought the book is that I'm researching my brother's service as a Naval aviator. On active duty during WWII and after, Allan W. Smith piloted PBYs and Privateers in the South Pacific. "We Flew Alone" has spurred me on in my efforts and provided ideas for further study.

I enjoyed the book from cover to cover and recommend it to all WWII history buffs and aviators everywhere.

Alan Carey has done a magnificent job of capturing the many facets of the air war in the Pacific. Everyone should know that almost all of those who gave their lives in that war, died alone and their bodies will never be found. I hope you will pardon my biased feelings about this book (I was one of those men who participated in many long, lonely flights over the Pacific) but I can attest to the fact that his book is factual. I have read every book I can find on that subject and this an excellent report on that part of the war, the best to date.

The use of actual quotes from the men who were there, graphic, vivid descriptions of combat and many photographs of the crews and their planes make this a truly important book for those interested in the Pacific War. It has to rank among the best books of the war for the great mix of text and pictures, including many "action" photographs.

The book is well organized and easy to read with the material presented in chronological order. He has included three appendices providing a great deal of specific information for those who want more details about the squadrons, their records and their beloved aircraft. The research was well done and his book is a great tribute to all of those who served in the PB4Y1 (B-24 LIberator) in the Pacific Theater of World War Two.

About a year ago a teacher/performer friend asked me who my first guitar teacher was. Larry McCabe, quite a few years ago. My friend looked surprised, and told me he uses Larry's books in his own teaching, and that Larry had written something like 80 books to date. I had no idea, as Larry was in the process of writing his first book when I had lessons with him. So when it came time to brush up on some basic blues licks for a band I'm in I ended up obtaining some of Larry's books.

This book of blues turnarounds is where I started. What a great book - full of excellent turnaround licks. At this point I've only played through about half of them note for note, but have used those as a basis for coming up with my own licks. And to me, that is the mark of a great book - lots of useful information if read note-for-note, but can also be used as a springboard for creating new ideas.

The licks I've learned from the book thus far are all in the key of C, but can be easily used in other keys if one has a basic knowledge of the notes on the fretboard. I'd highly recommend this book for a beginner wanting to learn stock blues licks, or intermediate players who need to expand their blues vocabulary.

An Excellent Choice for the Early Intermediate Blues Guitarist

A turnaround is a lick played at the end of a section of music. A blues turnaround would be played in measures 11-12 of a 12-bar blues, or measures 7-8 of an eight-bar blues.

Electric urban blues turnarounds are fairly easy to play, and the difference from one to another is subtle. Having the ability to play a variety of turnarounds is an important skill in blues guitar playing. This is the best book I know of that addresses exclusively the subject of electric blues guitar turnarounds.

This a book for a VERY ambitious beginner, or an early intermediate guitarist who has an interest in Chicago blues in the classic style of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed, etc.

The licks are all arranged in the key of C. This is for ease of analysis and comparison. The user is encouraged to transpose the licks to other keys - a worthwhile project for exploring and learning the fingerboard. Very, very good practice for learning the art of blues phrasing.

Great book from one of our leading authors. My students (and myself) have consistently benefited from the interesting instruction contained here.

My students and I work from several of Larry McCabe's guitar books and find that the books produce consistently high results.

This book, like the others, is exceptionally well crafted, specific in intent, and the guitar lines are accurately written exactly as they are heard on the CD. Larry McCabe books are the work of a dedicated teacher who has achieved a high level of respect nationally in the field of music education.

Larry asked me to write a review for this book, and I am happy to do so. The object of this book is to teach the art of playing blues guitar turnarounds to a guitarist who has some prior experience but is just beginning to explore electric blues.

If a student knows how to bend the strings and perhaps play slurs, slides, and hammers, blues turnarounds are not difficult to play. What is important is to play them authentically and with conviction. This book does a very good job in advancing those objectives.

A component of this book that is quite effective is that every phrase is written in the Key of C. The student should then transpose each lick to other keys, a desirable skill that encourages individual incentive and ability to solve arranging problems.

The turnarounds sound exactly like the ones played on classic blues recordings by the great artists from Chicago and other urban areas.

I know other teachers who swear by Larry's books, and I am one of them. Great book- effective in its aims, ambitious content, fun to work through, and a great value.

This very fine book has been in print in one form or another since the early-to-mid 1980s. Not many music books remain in print that long, but this is an exceptional collection of model solos in the urban blues style.

The book is quite popular with music teachers (as evidenced by the other reviews) and it is enjoyable and productive for students as well. The book is aimed at the ambitious early intermediate student, and a few of the solos will challenge an intermediate guitarist.

There are 25 full-length solos in the book, each written in notation and tablature, and each recorded note-for-note on the accompanying CD. The band on the CD is excellent. There are five solos in C, five in G, five in D, five in A, and five in E. The solos are played to standard blues progressions, meaning that they may be "plugged in" to similar blues progressions that are found in many, many songs.

The solos sound exactly like the solos heard on real blues records. They are varied and performed with taste, authenticity, and feeling. You can hear why the author was a columnist for Living Blues Magazine and why his work has received consistently high reviews in a number of guitar magazines.

Great book, highly recommended.

I wish all music instruction books were written in this format. The song tabs just go from one page to the next without a bunch of talking/writing in between, and the song numbers in the book actually match the song numbers on the cd...what a rare and unique idea! Of course, none of that would matter if the material were bad, but that's not the case, the solos are great - quite diverse too. There is a lot of helpful information in this book: theory, writing your own solos, a guide to blues styles and artists,etc. - but it's all in it's own section of the book, not sprinkled throughout the book here and there making it impossible to find. As a full time guitar instructor I would just like to say "great job", "great blues solos" and "great, easy to use format". Thanks.

The author of this book, Larry McCabe, is re-releasing books that have gone out of print for one reason or another. This particular book is an old friend. After I received it, I went into my library and found a copy. It has been in print in one form or another for 25 years. Most instruction books don't last anywhere near that long. First, this book (as the author warns) is not for beginners. You need to be familiar with the movable blues scales we all use. If you are playing out, and feel comfortable with the whole neck, get this book. The style of lead is closer to Gatemouth Brown and Freddie King than anyone else. If you don't know who these men are, buy their CDs. You are in for a treat. Please read the author's introduction. There is a lot of good info there. The Tab system is the older style. It should take about 30 seconds to adjust. It's actually easier to read than the current form. If you consider yourself a Rock guitarist instead of Blues, you really could use this book. If you use these solos as a "how to", instead of just memorizing them, they will give you some new weapons. You know, for scaring the heck out of other guitarists.

Well written essays, very informative and fun to read. the artist is colorful and appealing and very versatile. I especially liked his "Evolution" and Czar series. Where can I buy some paintings?

I thought this book had some beautiful paintings in it. I especially liked the horses and landscapes. They are all so cheerful to look at. The details and colors in each painting are just incredible. I also found Carey Goldberg's essay at the beginning of the book easy to read and very entertaining. Looking through this book makes me want to take up painting again.

Born in 1948 in a town near St. Petersburg, Gorbachev's magical paintings are very Russian, but at the same time universal. Most famous for his Stolichnaya ads, his art is totally unique, with a rich surface. His creations are of a fantasy world that delights the eye and uplifts the soul.

This book has wonderful examples of his art, with glossy reproductions of this brilliantly colored work. It's separated into 8 different "series," starting with "Mythological, Theatrical & Holiday Series" (part human creatures, joyously playing instruments, etc.), "Still Life, Landscapes & Animals," "Circus," "Balinese Icons," "Csar," "Icons," "Evolution," and ends with the Stolichnaya Holiday paintings. There is also a biographical essay, bibliography, chronology, collections, exhibits, and several photos of Yuri.

His technique is unusual and lacquer recipe kept secret. Painted in oil, with gold, bronze and copper over canvas. Many of them are as large as 48 x 84 inches. As well as the 91 paintings illustrated there are 9 detail plates, which make me marvel at his skill. Yuri's art is enchanting, and to quote him: "I have to make people happy. It sounds banal, but it's energy, this positive energy, that frees people and has no pretensions."

Love this book, espically if you are into kumihimo and beading this book is a must for something beautiful and different when it comes to beading and braiding...

This is an excellent knmihimo book for beginners and the experienced. It outlines everything in detail and steps you through the process. It is also filled with wonderful colorful pictures. There are many patterns provided for variety as well. Highly recommended.

This book is a wonderful reference for anyone with a little experience in Kumihimo braiding and moderate experience in beading. The illustrations are beautiful and the technique diagrams easy to understand. Highly recommend this for bead and fiber artists wanting to expand their knowledge and ideas.

I read this book when I was maybe 7 and thoguht it was really good...and now that I read it 8 yrs later I still love it! This book plays out so strangely. It's like a dream. You have to read it!

Do you like taking matters into your own hands, well if you do listen to this.
Ok theres a book I've been reading called The Big Bazoohley by Peter Carey.Its about a nine year old boy Sam.Sam's mom dad and of course him were down to there last twenty three dollars and fourty cents.So his family all went to a small town to see if they could make some money.Sam's Dad is a big gambler and his mom paints and sells art the size of match boxes but worth big bucks Sam was worried cause his big shot dad took his family to a huge hotel with a casino,buffet, and huge rooms.
The hotel was asking ....a night.Don't foreget they were broke, but sams mom was selling a .... piece of art so they supposed if she sold it theyed be able to pay rent.But it didn't work out how they thought,Sams mom didn't get the money and his dad was afraid to lose any more money by gambling it away.So Sam decided to go on a voyage for the thing his dad called the big Bazoohley.
I liked this story because a little boy thats 9 years old boy is going out to help his family.
I recommend this book to any body because it's usually hard for me to get into a book but I liked this one from the first chapter.

This kid needs more than ordinary luck to get himself and his parents out of a tight spot, but he isn't just going for a fix for the situation; he's shooting for the Big Bazoohley!

A book about guts and glory. A childhood adventure with a touch of magic.

Peter Carey brings his originality and poetic vision to a children's book with all the success he has had in adult prose. I loved it!

I'll have to admit that I was a little worried about a book where a man cuts off his big hairy toe! I had visions of "Stephen King meets Jan Brett" in a new genre called Horror Picture Books. Instead, I was left with a smile over a very warm and tender story of a girl who visits her grandparents and the fun they have telling spooky stories. The carefully chosen words and wonderful illustrations make The Big Hairy Toe a great read.

The story begins, quite innocently, with the narrator remembering visits to her grandparent's house when she was younger. Because they didn't have electricity, they had to use oil lamps to see and a wood stove for heat. Then, one particular night, they gather together to hear Grandfather tell a story about the house's previous owner, a man who accidentally cut off his big hairy toe. From there, the story unfolds and the suspense builds, leading up to a surprise and lighthearted ending!

I truly enjoyed hearing the rendering of this tale, and I think it's done perfectly. It's one of those books that can be read to children from kindergarten up to even third grade. It's suspenseful enough to capture a young person's attention, but not scary enough that the story would be inappropriate. Likewise, I can clearly see this book being used with older children to explore their own memories of visits to their grandparent's or even as a springboard to writing their own scary tales.

The real power to this book, I think, is in the unsaid. Viva Lou Carey and Brett Key carefully craft The Big Hairy Toe to draw the readers in and let them use their imagination. So many picture books today have too much writing and illustrations that are too full. This book seems to have the perfect balance: the authors give us just enough to direct our thoughts and eyes, then let our imaginations do the rest. This, for me, is what a picture book should do. For this reason, I highly recommend The Big Hairy Toe.

Thomas Bolme, Jr.
An Independent Professional Book Reviewer

The Big Hairy Toe, is certainly suspenseful and a sit on the edge of a chair type of book. Children would absolutely love it. It is a good campfire story for families who go camping. I highly recommend this book and know children will definitely respond to the contents. I know I would be cuddled up next to my grandmother when I was little when the story was told by Grandpa. Appropriately illustrated.

"The Big Hairy Toe" by Viva Lou Carey is a great book. It is a great story and is illustrated by a person that is tops in my opinion anyway I thought his illustrations are as good as illustrations get.

The story is also as good as a story gets. After I read this book I thought "WOW" I am glad I ordered this book and it is definitely a keeper. This book reflects highly on the author, Illustrator, and Publisher.

I would recommend this book for all age groups. It is definitely a book that parents could read to their children over and over again. If you want to see a quality book that you can read to your children, this is it.

The book provided a wonderful backdrop for an upcoming trip to Big Moose Lake. It was wonderful way to learn about the area by way of historic postcards. Get it if your planning a trip to the area.

This book is extremely enjoyable and informative. Not only did I love seeing the history of Big Moose Lake through the wonderful collection of vintage picture post cards, but I couldn't resist comparing each picture to the corresponding snapshots I've taken over the years! It is truly amazing how little has changed geographically in this incredibly scenic area of New York State. Scheffler and Carey, however, also do a great job showing the reader how social factors -- like fashion and entertainment -- have changed in the Adirondacks in the past 100 years. A wonderful tour of photographs that transport the reader around the lake and through time.

This book will be near and dear to anyone who has visited Big Moose Lake or the Adirondacks.

For the ones who have visited the region before, the book provides a trip back in time and describes how the popular vacation spot got it's start. The best thing about the book and the lake is that not many things have changed since the early 1900's. When reading or just looking at the pictures, travelers are able to take a quick trip around the lake they love whenever they please.